SweUkr: Sickness
by sweetsnow73
Summary: When you are sick you just need some TLC.


A nice anon requested a story where Ukraine takes care of a sick Sweden! Too cute to pass up! As always my endings suck but there you go.

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She had fallen asleep on the living room couch. She slowly woke up, rubber her face were spit had dripped. Well that was embarrassing. She had come in on the midnight flight and had let herself in his apartment. She got as far as taking her shoes off, she looks at the shoes on the floor._ Must have fallen asleep._ She looks around for the clock.

She must be out of it. She looks around, there were no signs of anyone. Maybe Berwald had to leave for a meeting? But she had said she was coming, that's why she was here because they agreed to spend the week together. She gets to her feet and stretches until she hears a pop and walks around. His shoes were still by the door.

She walks down the hall, Sealand's room was empty. The bed made perfectly, corner tucked and charts and maps on the wall and all over his desk. Ladonia's room is similar only with drawings and a art easel sit in the corner. That was odd, Johan was supposed to be here.

It was then that the house phone started to ring. She walks back to the kitchen and look around for it. She flips on the light and reaches for it. She pauses and considers the fact it isn't actually her phone. Her habit wins out, while she's debating her hand picks it up. She's greeted with yelling. It's in Swedish so she has some trouble catching it. But she realizes it's Ladonia.

"Lad? Lad!"

The boy stops and she hears some sniffling.

"Where's the jerk?"

She's confused but then realizes he's talking about Berwald.

"He's not with you?"

"What? WHAT? HE'S NOT THERE? WHAT HAPPENED."

"Lad, I need you to calm down. I don't know where he is, but I need to find you. Where are you?"

"AH, oh, train station."

"Alright I'm coming to get you. I don't want you out there alone, alright?" Even though it sounded like a question, it wasn't. She tells him to wait there and she'll come. She'll probably have to walk to the station. She sits back on the couch and fidgets with her boats. It's then that she hears a thud from the main bedroom.

_Ah, what was that?_

She locked the door behind her last night or so she had thought. Maybe she was freaking out for nothing and Berwald had been here the whole time. She walks quickly down the hall and slowly opens the door.

"Ber-"

Before she can say much else there is a groan and she notices him on the floor.

…

He remembers when he was a small boy, maybe that was the last time he got this sick. Scandia had laid him on a bed of hay with some furs over him. The candle light flickered and he remembers seeing strange forms and shapes in the light. Norway laid next to him at one point and he faintly remembers hearing "Don't die stupid". His father had things to do so he spent most of that sickness with his brothers. Denmark would tell him stories and he only caught parts of them because he kept falling asleep. But his words would follow him into his sleep and painted images on his mind's eye.

He was alone this time. Whatever he got, he didn't have anyone to help. Some part of his mind remembers Johan and Sofiya. But he can't fully remember, it's on the tip of his memory. Stubbornly running away. He thinks he tried to get up but can't really remember. He just wants to sleep.

Something wet on his face. He makes his eyes open, it takes a few seconds before he remembers he can't see very clearly without his glasses. His shaky hand tries to reach for them on the side table when they seem to magically appear on his face.

"There you go, see everything now?"

There she is, Sofiya. She's holding his face and getting a good look at him. She takes up his vision and he can't muster the energy to turn his head. She's examining his face.

"How are you feeling?"

Every iota of energy was stolen by the air.

Utterly exposed like a baby on a battle field waiting for the enemy to attack.

He can't say anything.

"I see." And she does. Surprisingly enough she nods in understanding. "I'm going to prop you up, you'll be able to see more."

She's gentle and strong. She holds him to her with one arm and arranges the pillows with the other. He could fall asleep right there in her embrace but just when he's about to she places him back down. Now he's sitting up.

It feels like it takes more effort to breath. What was going on? Was his nation in trouble? He needs to be helping then. He can't leave them alone…

"Hey now what are you doing?" She's walking in the room with a tray, he didn't realize he'd nodded off.

She presses a cold hand to his forehead and his glasses are placed back on his face.

"Your fever is down a little. That's an improvement!" A wash cloth rubs his face, even under his glasses. She's quick. He tries to speak but his throat is dry and a wheeze comes out instead, he coughs and she hovers.

"You need to drink something, I made some soup! Johan helped." The bed dips to his left side and the red haired boy in question leaned over to him.

"Whoa you look like you got ran over."

Sofiya clears her throat and Johan sits down next to him.

She helps him drink a glass of water and finish half the soup. Unfortunately he falls asleep before he can finish it all.

Next time he wakes up he's laying on his back again. The room is dark and the bedroom curtains are drawn. There are a few books on the floor, he can move his head more now and he takes in more of the room. The side table has a bottle of pills, his glasses, the clock and lamp. The clock reads three in the morning. Light foot steps come into his room and he sees it's Ukraine, she bends over and picks up the books and leave.

He's struck by how empty the room is. It's miles and years away from his memory of being a sick child. A life time has passed, more than one. Somehow though he's found himself with less people around him instead of more.

A cool hand touches his forehead again.

"Much better…" Sofiya says in a low voice. The bed dips to the left and she lays next to him. "Are you awake?"

He responds with a grunt of sorts. She lets out a happy sounding noise. He's still facing outward at his side table.

"Johan finally went to bed," she places her forehead on his back and she sighs, "he says 'don't die jerk'…while I would have said it better I can share the sentiment…" She has a hand on his shoulder. With some effort he's able to roll over and face her.

"You're getting better each hour that passes, I think maybe you'll be fine in a few days."

She runs fingers along his forehead and along his jaw. She looks worried. This makes him focus, the edges of his mind are starting to fog.

"Is everything alright?"

She nods, "Yes this seems to be all you. Nothing in the news. No calls, well, other than the ones asking where you've been. I called them back…," she breaks eye contact, "I hope that was alright, all the right people know that you're unavailable. Just rest." She running a thumb along his exposed cheek and he falls asleep.

He's dreaming that he's small again. His tiny hands reach up and there is a breeze in the trees.

Scandia calls him over, it's been so long, but this part of his memory remembers his fathers voice. He's given a leather bag and he opens it and finds beans…?

"_The little boy having traded the last cow for beans went…"_

That was Sofiya's voice. He looked at where his father had been, the tall man was walking off with a cow.

It was such a silly sight that in his dream he laughed.

When he wakes up next his head feels like, his breathing easy and he feels fine. Sofiya was sleeping next to him, her back to him. He spent the week that they were supposed to have together, sick in bed and unconscious. He sighs. Looking around he spotted children's books on the floor. Johan wasn't in the room and he heard gentle snoring from out the door and guessed the boy had been put in his own room. Sofiya rolls over and mutters in her sleep. The world is alright in this moment. He could get up and do something but all he really wants to do is hold her in his arms and make up for some lost time. So he does. She makes a happy sound and soon he's asleep.


End file.
